Investigator: Judge nixes release of alleged police beating tape

CLEVELAND -- Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Fuerst today barred the release of a police video of an alleged police beating, but allowed it to be seen by laweyrs.

Edward Henderson said the video shows police beat him viciously, breaking his nose and shattering his eye socket. He was hospitalized for three days. Fuerst said only prosecutors and defense attornies are allowed to view the video for now.

The video shot from the Cleveland police helicopter reportedly shows police vehicles chasing after Henderson, who was driving a minivan.

Henderson says it was late at night in a bad section of town when someone knocked on his window at a traffic light and told him to pull over.

Henderson told Channel 3 News he had no idea it was a police officer and he took off, with police in pursuit.

Henderson says the video will show he was obeying police commands, but was still brutally beaten while in handcuffs.

While prosecutors eventually agreed that defense lawyers should see the video, the judge made it clear that the tape can not be shown to anyone else, including members of the news media, at this time.

Henderson's criminal defense attorney, Daniel Chaplin, has seen the video.

"It was shocking and sickening. You can see thermal-images in a piston-like motion hitting him (Henderson)," Chaplin said.

Cleveland Safety Director Martin Flask said an internal investigation should be completed in a couple weeks. No officer has been charged.